In May, Arkansas County’s ending balance in the county general fund decreased to nearly half of what it had approximately one year ago.

“The county general is running a little less than it does this time of year sometimes,” Treasurer Charles Horton said. “But we’ve known that was going to happen all year long.”

The county general fund had a balance of $274,511 at the end of May, while the ending balance in May 2011 was $481,000. Horton said the biggest difference is that the county has paid its debt to the taxing entities already this year while in past years they paid later.

It was a similar situation for three other funds including the county road, which had an ending balance of $278,092 in May and $481,000 in May 2011. For the county road fund, Horton said the main difference is that the county hasn’t had any disasters so far this year. For the past few years, the county has received about $250,000 each year in disaster aid.

The fund’s decreased budget is a good thing when considering there has not been a need for disaster aid this year, he said.

The other funds nearly halved were the treasurer’s automation fund, $37,964 in May and $74,000 in May 2011, and the recorder’s cost fund, $38,085 in May and $95,000 in May 2011. In both cases, Horton said the lost money was used to purchase new computer systems and software, which is the primary function of an automation fund.

In addition to the financial update, approximately $3,556 was line itemized for the the adult jail budget Tuesday morning during Arkansas County Quorum Court.

The funds are reimbursements with $840 for inmate housing from West Helena and $2,450 for litter pick up from the State of Arkansas. Clifford Fisher has paid the county an additional $266 for junk salvage.

The amendment to the adult jail budget was the sole ordinance considered along with three resolutions for appointments during the monthly meeting with 10 justices of the peace present. Justice of the Peace Tom Hasty was absent.

The quorum court approved appointing Donna Vittitow to the southern district library board as well as reappointing Karen French to the northern district library board and Melvin Case to the equalization board as representative for the school districts.

It was a quick meeting with the only other business being updates from county officials. Sheriff Allen Cheek said there were 48 males and 12 females in the adult detention center, 12 of which are 309 inmates, while there are five males in the juvenile detention center.

County inmates have collected 441 bags of trash along 86.70 miles of state highway in the past month. Cheek said while the amount was OK, it was not as good as it has been in past months.